No teachers, no tests, no grades. Welcome to high school, run by students

2 out of every 3 high schoolers are disengaged with their learning. This experimental school lets them study what they actually care about - and it’s changing everything.
For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers tackling our biggest challenges, subscribe to Stand Together ► / standtogethercc
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One Stone, a school in Boise, Idaho, might look like a typical American school from the outside. But inside you will not find teachers, tests, or grades. One Stone, after all, is a student-run school.
The ambitious idea began when teachers noticed that students were struggling to engage with classes. More than that, they were coming out of the K-12 system without really understanding what the purpose of education was as it relates to their life and goals, according to Chad Carlson, director of research and design at One Stone.
One Stone aims to change that by giving students more power in choosing what and how they want to learn. The long-term goal is to prepare students not just for higher education, but for the meaningful lives they want to live.
Watch more videos about revolutionizing education in our playlist ► • K-12 Education Revolution
And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► standtogether....

[@StandTogetherCC]

Insights from the director of One Stone: The #1 thing entrepreneurs get wrong about making change: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJXbiKVnbKiIibs Educators--you may need to do less: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGrHdaODmrN7abc

[@asterism__]

As a Student at One Stone, I can say this place has changed my life, I’ve been able to explore my passions in the long term and find a community of people who support me. It’s also been awesome to work with real world community partners on a wider scale (not sure if that was talked about much) where I can really make a difference and not just make a lifeless prototype where nothing ever happens. I want people to know that one stone works and although it has its problems we are constantly iterating on everything we do and testing what works and doesn’t. One Stone truly is one of the most transformative moments of my life. Thanks for making a short documentary on One Stone!!

[@StandTogetherCC]

That's awesome to hear, thanks for sharing!

[@malachor5ve]

It's really good to see high school kids with hope and happiness in their eyes. All the average high school experience teaches us is to avoid learning when we're older. What a great legacy of the education system, associating learning with pain/discomfort. Lol.

[@rampagephoenix1735]

35 year old Millennial here, and I gotta confess, I'm impressed with this younger generation. Stuff like this is exactly why; Nothing keeps them boxed in, they can grow without having to be forced to conform in a society that won't allow them to pioneer and trailblaze fresh new ideas the world could actually benefit from.

[@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559]

Yeah, but their objection to barriers has negative consequences too. This is a generation that ignorantly and mistakenly believes that biological sex is irrelevant and can even be chosen or changed.

[@rampagephoenix1735]

@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559 What you just described sounds no different than religion , bud. The difference is we've seen how far people are willing to commit to doing evil things in the name of their interpretation of "God, the Bible, and their Country. The hypocrisy and projection from older generations makes them more dangerous than anything they accuse others. Frankly, I've seen no evidence to suggest that those who claim to be a different gender than what they are born with have done so on a whim or with mal intent. Between a person who tells me that they are a different gender and another person throwing insults, death threats, and committing hate crimes, WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK I WOULD PICK TO BE LESS OF A DANGER TO SOCIETY?? It's not a tough question, it really isn't.

[@AlexR_418]

With AI making it so much easier to cheat on projects and exams. Maybe this can be a good option, since the students are focused on the things they want to learn

[@alexcaminiti]

I got in trouble all the time for skipping classes to play music. I was told by everyone I should have a backup plan for when I eventually fail as an audio engineer. My job as an audio engineer pays for my child to go to an unschooling school like this, where he isn't told what to do, how and when to do it. He learns how to communicate and think. The two things that public school never even consider teaching, because it's not in the curriculum or the intention of public babysitting. You can't quantity everything, and you can't expect kids who need to get outside playing to be able to be inside sitting and listening. It's such a ridiculous notion. I'm in my late 30s and I'm still on my feet on the move all day every day. We aren't meant to sit and obey.

[@victorzirkle1937]

My response is not meant to be smug in any way I agree with some of your points, especially about being active all day and following your passion; however, I disagree with the notion that public schools don't teach how to communicate and how to think (I'm assuming creatively and/or practically). I loved my high school experience. I had many leadership opportunities within the sports teams I played on while others who did not play sports had these same opportunities in SCA (completely student run), Yearbook Club, as well as organizing talent and fashion shows. I think your statement would be accurate if you included "most" or "some" in the verbage when you say schools do not put any emphasis on socialization or how to think. I can confidently defend the socialization aspect, and semi-confidently defend the "how to think" part. I see your point and acknowledge schools can do a better job of the how to think part, but that doesn't mean that element is completely absent. Inside the classroom at my high school, I took all sorts of classes which are still relevant including Spanish (4 years), physics, psychology (which I love), and health & PE (we could create whatever games we wanted, lift weights, and was great for socialization). I think bottom line is we may have had different public (I'm assuming) school experiences, and that's what contributes to how we view the educational system today. I acknowledge the public school system can be significantly improved- smaller class sizes would be a great start, but it think it's important to note there are some really awesome schools out there doing a lot for a student's development with the resources they have.

[@johncaccioppo1142]

I went to a very similar school for my first two years, back in the 1970s. I'd love to see data on absenteeism, disciplinary actions and other metrics of struggle as well as progress, compared to contemporary schools, and a discussion on accreditation, age grouping and philosophical development of disciplines. Another unmentioned potential is the possibility of this forming into work collectives and online businesses. Seems like with the rise of home schooling this is a very timely initiative.

[@Paperbutton9]

i know i wouldnt have been as much of a little truant if i went to a school like this....

[@Marco187Polo]

i finished school 4 years ago and the school still haunts me in my dreams. i would have loved to go to a school like this were you can be free.

[@nocheapdopamine725]

Man i am SOOOO JEALOUS of these kids!!! Even though im a total geek this looks like it wouldve been such a fun high school experience

[@robertsteffler9184]

I probably would have done much better in a high school like this than the traditional one I went to. Even though I think it also puts too much emphasis on following your passions. Highschool was torturous and soul crushing. I ended up dropping out before finishing because I had math anxiety and failed everything that had to do with math...which translated into the reality of all my dream careers being unattainable. There was no point in being in school if it wasn't going to lead me to where I wanted to go. My education really began once I quit and left home. Decades later as an adult I tell kids not to conflate their passions with their careers. But instead, find jobs that pay well and allow for enough time off to pursue your passions in your free time. The reality is that most of us in the working class are not going to end up with dream careers anyway. So leave work at the job and do what you really love with your free time.

[@liamedey7687]

Seems like a fantastic idea. But there is one huge assumption being made that is crucial for success. Students that are self driven and hard working. I don't know how many students that I have spoken to have zero aspiration and will not put any work into even the courses they said are their favorite. I have met a lot that would love to take their future jnto their own hands but it's unfortunately a minority. Many don't know what they want and don't care to try to find out. They mentioned in the video that this style is not for everyone which is exactly what I'm trying to outline. For those students who do fit the in with this program I think they could do some truly amazing things. Can't wait to see where this goes.

[@johnnyBrwn]

Yeah, this is for 1% of all students. Most that I know will reward hack to literally meet requirements by cramming, cheating, but won't fully assimilate the knowledge.

[@lurker993]

Right. The internet already allows people to learn literally anything. I use it all the time for this explicit purpose. Everything from car maintenance and woodworking to biology. I have met a large number of Gen Zers with zero skills that say they don't do certain things because they don't know how, but then they stare at TikTok all day.

[@djvelocity]

This generation seems *WAY more mature than my generation was in high school* in the mid 2000s 😳🤯

[@drkclshr]

You should see the 4th graders

[@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559]

Don't overestimate them - they're still young and inexperienced. They have the naive tendancy to undervalue the wisdom gained from experience that older generations have. They also know a lot less about human history, and they have less of a tendancy to think critically - just look at all the speakers who've been deplatformed on college campuses. Teenagers and young adults ostensibly throw tantrums don't like the feeling they get from hearing other people's ideas. They're like toddlers who throw their toys out of the pram.

[@dekev7503]

​@@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559 exactly 💯. A lot of the people in the comments are just making emotional, irrational conclusions. Come back in 15 years when they've been in the real world for a while.

[@BlahstarRecords]

The internet generation

[@krishnanshsangha]

Highest quality content I found till date.

[@StandTogetherCC]

So glad you liked it!

[@al_wombat]

Agreed.

[@thomaslyons441]

So, they literally made a real life South Harmon Institute of Technology. Nice.

[@grosha77]

this reminded me so much of it I went looking for a comment like yours.

[@andrewgagne5063]

That is definitely hands on.

[@tutubism]

interesting experiment, wishing my country adopts this style or system of learning.

[@alhfgsp]

I'm sure it's fine for the few who are self-motivated at a young age, but the problem is most kids have no ability to apply their own structure. I'm not against self-guided learning, but the European model is far more effective. And no testing? This is literally the process by which someone can be evaluated for their knowledge on a subject. Medical students, for example, need to prove through serious testing that they have the knowledge and capabilities to perform certain tasks in medicine. How else do they prove they can meet the standards? I wouldn't want to be treated by a doctor who didn't need to prove they understood what tf they're doing!!! I'd like to see some statistics on how students raised with this model operate (on average) in the real world with often stringent standards.

[@StandTogetherCC]

We certainly agree that medical students, among others, need specific training and testing in order to be entrusted with people's lives :). This is a high school, and to be clear, this particular program isn't meant to be a universal prescription for all kids--individual student's don't want or need the same things--but we think it is an eye-opening exploration of what is possible and one that is helping kids for whom the traditional American school system wasn't working. Thank you for your comment and have a good day.

[@blueninja012]

it seems to me that the students are tested, but not with standardized tests, which don't work to show knowledge anyway edit: 4:27

[@alienonion4636]

Awesome especially considering we already know what doesn't work. Best wishes to all of your students. For me the worst aspect of HS was not enough flexibility in the system for me to make my own decisions and take the courses I truly wanted to go to.

[@BitcoinIsGoingToZero]

As long as they meet the criteria to get into college and cover some basic courses, this might work for a certain kind of students.

[@alhfgsp]

The standards are dropping, however. Without testing, progress is hard to evaluate from an objective standpoint and standards can't be enforced. A free-for-all sounds fun, but is unlikely to produce competent adults in STEM or medicine.

[@JamesVestal-dz5qm]

I knew how to connect with students' passions in Kansas!

[@PabloGambaccini]

Education is a cooperative process... authoritarian desing is obsolete.

[@Catlily5]

Very cool, if it works.

[@ryanl3812]

Interesting. Almost like a god mode Montessori school

[@vlowolvtake1797]

This is a private school right?

[@scottjuhnke6825]

This is a really interesting concept.

[@rachelbey7008]

This is viable option for many students. It should not be usurped by conventional schools and the methods and resources could be very useful to homeschoolers.

[@ahmedmohamed-fo5jl]

This is just good as an experiment to redesign high school Not as a replacement to high school

[@mazyegillisgmail]

Beyond exciting!

[@s.a5332]

This is genius

[@lightless]

Whilst being passionate makes you do better i dont think they learn much about commitments.

[@therealbs2000]

You give students total freedom and it will play out in the long run exactly as students having total freedom will play out. Let's check up on these kids in 10 years...nah we not gonna do that

[@niccosalonga9009]

It's really just another Sudbury school. It's not that new a thing actually. I'm not inclined to look too thoroughly for actual statistics but they've had pretty good reviews so far in terms of outcomes, as far as I've seen, so I'd say it works a lot better than much of standard public education.

[@ababababaababbba]

hey guys did you know this is funded by the koch brother (the other one died lol)

[@dave.8]

Sounds too good to be true

[@person3728]

What are the SAT scores compared to other similarly funded schools ?

[@chrisandrew3667]

The point is SAT scores are garbage and have no meaningful correlation with future career success.

[@Augfordpdoggie]

i bet all of those students have supportive parents...thats the difference

[@philcudworth8491]

Why not try it. It's how the kids feel about it that matters. I'm 61, they were still hitting us with sticks when I was at school. Completely legally.

[@mactireliath2356]

Any of these kids really interested in projects that are beneficial to society in some way; engineering, or executive trade support? Sometimes you have to guided into capability, instead of being lead by your heart through a world of broken roads and empty clinics.

[@niccosalonga9009]

Well, there was the one who wanted to be a paramedic.

[@ayo4112]

im against the current schooling system but how do they succeed in college?

[@dekev7503]

A lot of the people in the comments are just making emotional, irrational conclusions. Come back in 15 years when these kids would've been in the real world for a while, where nobody cares about your opinion or passions and your survival literally depends on how productive/profitable you are. Maybe the dudes that were learning practical skills might thrive ( but there are already schools that teach you that, they're called apprenticeships/trade school).

[@alhfgsp]

It's the lack of testing knowledge that kills me about this "school". How else do you prove that you can reproduce required knowledge and therefore be competent in anything?

[@lurker993]

It looks interesting, but from everything shown this just looks like an art school. They literally didn't show them doing anything but art.

[@lall7928]

These are the students who won't be able to function in the real world where their boss or client tells them what to do and they have to deal with it. Who wouldn't like doing what they want.

[@darylscott1592]

All well and good but Where's the science and engineering? World's not going to spin without skills that matter

[@themaestrodamus]

Conveniently, it’s a school full of MOSTLY Caucasian kids with strategically placed black kids here and there… yes, I’m that guy! It’s nice to see you’ve gotten to the point where you have the luxury to “teach” yourselves. I wonder what “boxes” the school has 🤔

[@niccosalonga9009]

Isn't the black population in the U.S. like 13 percent or something? Also, shouldn't people be teaching themselves continuously throughout the course of their life? It's just a Sudbury school though. It's not that new a thing. It seems to work okay, according to those who have had such an education.

[@partymarty6969]

ACCEPTED!!!

[@flavienadjovi]

I was about to say the same thing

[@SS-hv7bo]

Jesus this is genius,gen z might just fix this planet

[@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559]

How? By pretending biological sex isn't real? By deplatforming speakers they disagree with? By trying to bully their intellectual opponents into submission? If the radicals among Gen Z-ers are left unchecked, we're all in for a dangerously wacky ride once they come to power.